Disappearing store-front.



PATENTED JAN. 24, 1905. v

- No.780,538: v

F. L. STONE.

DISAPPEARING STORE FRONT.

APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 17.1904.

UNITED STATES.

Patented January 24, 1905.

FRED L. STONE, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

DISAPPEARING STORE-FRONT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,538, dated January 24;, 1905.

Application filed October 1'7, 1904:- Serial No. 228,731.

and I do declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itv appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompany,

ing drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to what-1 term a disappearing store-front, being a. construction whereby the hinged portion of the front, usually composed of doors, may be completely concealed.

The object is to get the doors completely out of the way and at the same time add to the appearance of the doorway and the portion of the walls of the store adjacent the entrance.

This construction is especially adapted for use for the fronts of cigar-stores, floral establishments, and other places having comparatively narrow fronts. In this case the entire front may be composed of hinged doors adapted to fold and swing into adjacent recesses or pockets, after which concealing panels are swung into place, giving the walls adjacent the doorway a neat finished appearance and completely removing the doors from view.

The concealing-panels preferably consist ofmirrors, though it must be understood that they may be of any other desired construction. An important'feature of the concealing-panel consists of a hinged column adapted to be swung inwardly and concealed in the doorpocket when the doors are exposed, but adapted to be swung outwardly to fill the doorspace adjacent the panel when the folded doors or store-front members are swung into the pocket and concealed by the panel. It must also be understood that my improved construction is adapted for use at entrances of large stores of any construction as well as the smaller stores heretofore mentioned, since it permits the concealing .of the doors by mir- 5 rors or other ornamental panels, thus forming a structure both useful and ornamental.

Having briefly outlined my improved construction, as well as the function it is intended to perform, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal section take-n through a store-front and the adjacent panels thereof, the doors being shown in the concealed position in full lines at the left and exposed or open at the right. Fig.

2 is a fragmentary view, in horizontal section, illustrating the left-hand side of the construc- 5 tion shown in Fig. 1, showing the parts in position when the doors or store-front members are exposed. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the same construction when the doors are concealed. 7

The same reference characters indicate the same partsin all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate the store-front members, which in this case consist of two pairs of members, the individual members of each pair being connected by a hinge 6, whereby the outer door or member is adapted to swing or fold in either direction. As there is nothing novel about this hinge construction, it will not be described in detail. The inner member 5 of-each pair is hinged to a corner-post or stationarycolumn 7, as shown at 8, while adjacent this hinge and extending inwardly into the room is a pocket or recess 9 on each side of the entrance and of sufficient 5 size to hold a pair of folded members 5, as shown at the left of Fig. 1 and as also further illustrated in Fig. 3.

' In order to conceal the recess 9 both when the doors or store-front members are located 9 therein as well as when the said members are exposed, I provide a panel 10, which may consist of a mirror, or itmay be of any other suitable structure or design. This panel is hinged, as shown at 12, and has a part 13 projecting beyond the hinge and adapted to enter a pocket 14 when the panel is swung outwardly to the position indicated by dotted lines at the left of Fig. 1. v To the extremity of this panel remote from its hinge is connected a column 15, which is hinged to the panel, as shown at 16, whereby it is adapted to swing to the position shown at the right of Fig. 1 and in Fig. 2 or to the position shown at the left of Fig. 1 and in Fig. 3. When the doors or store-front members are exposed, the column 15 is swung inwardly and occupies the recess 9, since the outer vertical edge of the panel fits closely against the door 5 adjacent the hinge. In this case the hinged column 15 virtually performs no function. When, however. the doors are folded and swung inwardly into the pocket 9, the column 15 is swung outwardly and forms an extension of the panel and fills the space previously occupied by the adjacent store-front member 5. This arrangement is clearly illustrated at the left of Fig. 1 and on a larger scale in Fig. 3.

Suitable provision is made for locking the doors or store-front members 5 both to the floor and the ceiling. This is also true of the concealing-panel 10. However, as these features are not novel they will not be described in detail. They are, however, indicated at 17 in the drawings.

Assuming that the doors or store-front members 5 are in the position shown at the right of Fig. 1, if it is desired to place the said members within the pocket 9 the panel 10 is first swung outwardly a suitable distance, after which the member 5 farther to the left is folded inwardly against its companion member 5, after which both members are swung into the pocket 9. The hinged column of the panel 10 is then swung outwardly, after which the panel is swung back into position completely concealing the members 5, the parts being then in the relative position shown at the left of Fig. 1 and also in Fig. 3. The are described by the member 5 farther to the right of the left-hand pair when the same is folded inwardly against its companion member 5 is designated 18 in Fig. 1, while the are described by the folded members when swung into the pocket 9 is indicated at 19. The are described by the outer edge of the panel 10 when swung outwardly to allow the doors to enter the pocket 9 is indicated at 20, while the are described by the column 15 of the panel when swinging from p ne position to the other is indicated at 21 in It will be observed that the part 13 of the concealing-panel performs the function of closing the pocket 14 when the panel is. in position to conceal the doors, and this is all of the time except during a short period that the panel is swung outwardly for the purpose of placing the doors in the pocket 9 or removing them therefrom, as. the case may be. The construction illustrated and extendingin- 5 wardly beyond the concealing-panel is an ordinary store-panel construction and need not be further described in detail.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a disappearing store-front, the combination of hinged members constituting the front, the said members being arranged to swing into pockets or recesses located adjacent the said members, and panels hinged adjacent the said pockets and adapted to conceal the same both when the hinged members are exposed as well as when they are located within the pockets, substantially as described.

2. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a hinged member adapted to swing into a pocket or recess formed adjacent said member, and a concealing member also hinged adjacent the said pocket or recess and adapted to conceal the latter, substantially as described.

3. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a stationary post, of a member hinged to said post and adapted to swing into a recess or pocket formed adjacent the post, and a concealing member mounted to swing on an axis remote from the said post, and adapted to conceal the said pocket and its contents, the concealing member being provided with a column hinged to the edge remote from its axis and adapted to swing inwardly into the pocket or outwardly as circumstances may require, for the purpose set forth.

at. The combination of a store-front having posts on opposite sides, pockets or recesses extending inwardly adjacent the posts, folding store-front members hinged to the posts and adapted to enter the recesses or pockets, and concealing members mounted to swing on axes remote from the hinges of the folding members, and adapted to conceal the recesses or pockets and their contents for the purpose set forth.

5. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a stationary post or column, a door hinged to said post, a door member connected with the door to fold against the same, the two members being adapted to swing into a pocket or recess extending inwardly from the post, and a concealing member mounted to swing on an axis remote from the said post and adapted to conceal the pocket or recess and its contents, the said concealing member having a column hinged to its edge remote from its axis, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a disappearing store-front, the combination of hinged members constituting the front, the said members being arranged to swing into pockets or recesses located adjacent the members, and panels movably mounted adjacent the said pockets and adapted to conceal the same both when the hinged members are exposed as well as when they are located within the pockets.

7. In a structure of the class described, the

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two wltnesses.

FRED L. STONE.

Witnesses:

DENA NELSON, A. J. OBRIEN. 

